Everybody has their favorite genres and will compare authors in different genres to determine which ones are the best. Well, there's two things to consider here - first, different genres require different styles of writing and second, social mores determine how freely authors could write.
It is best to compare authors within the same genre and, if possible, within the same time era. But a truly great author will bypass time and be applicable to any period simply because the story has great characters and a well developed plot.
But first we should look at what makes a writer great.
An average writer will have average characters, none will really stand out and few readers will feel strongly about any of the characters. The plot will be easily anticipated and the story can often be classified as typical. Average writers will sell some books and might have a following of casual readers. They write the books that are easy to put down at any time.
A good writer will have characters you like or love and characters you dislike or hate. There will be unexpected plot twists and you'll want to read on to see what is happening. It might be a bit harder to lay the book down but it can be done.
A great writer will have characters you love, characters you hate, characters you love to hate, and characters you hate to love. The plot will have so many twists and turns and often have a few subplots running along as well that you need something to help keep the story straight. These are the books that are almost impossible to set down.
Being an avid reader, I have a high standard for writers to reach. There are multitudes of average writers. There are a good group of good writers. But there are only a handful of great writers. Part of the problem is that I've read so much that I can figure out a plot line quickly. I can look at where I'd put in twists and see if the author is better than me. If I can picture in my head the characters, the locations, and the action than an author gets my seal of approval.
It's a balancing act that few people master. As an author, you need to have strong characters, an intriguing plot, and a rich, vibrant world as the backdrop. Too much description and the reader loses interest. Too little and the reader can't clearly see the location or people. Language is also important - too much common slang and people in other time periods won't understand. Words that are in common usage can change their meanings over time but authors have no control on that.
Let's look at two of today;s best known authors in the fantasy genre. J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. Both have written long epics with multiple main characters that the story flows between. There is the main plot and multiple subplots. Both have characters that people love and hate. Both have enough plot twists and turns to make a labyrinth appear to be a straight corridor.
The major difference between the two writers is that Tolkien wrote of an epic quest while Martin writes of a realm and the struggle for someone to rule it. But Tolkien wrote in a time period where sex scenes were taboo and cursing was considered uncouth and coarse. So he had to pick a subject where he could describe his world and play out his king-making story without going into all the politics that Martin writes about.
The other difference between the two authors is that Martin has characters that people hate to love. Tolkien's characters are all clear-cut. They are on the side of good or on the side of evil. Sometimes they might be doing bad things for good reasons or because they've been mislead by someone they trusted but you can pretty much say if they are on the side of light or darkness.
Martin's characters are generally clear cut as well. But he slips in a few that leave you wondering if they are good or bad. They do bad things but they also do good things. Just as you think "Aha, a villain" the character does something heroic in nature. Martin writes those rare characters, the ones you hate to love.
The other major difference between the two is the amount of description they write. Tolkien believed in describing details perhaps to a fault. While most of his descriptions were good, he would occasionally spend too much time describing a place and the people in it. Martin gives a basic description of a new location then uses the actions occurring in that area to bring out details.
Martin has the advantage over Tolkien in that he writes in a period where an author can write in sex scenes and coarse language and not have a fuss raised about it or his books banned. But Martin does not write gratuitous sex scenes. Sure, some really aren't necessary to the plot lines but they show the interactions between characters and relate to how the motives of certain characters are affected. Take out the scenes and it will have little effect on the story.
But that means that Martin was able to write about the power plays of people trying to claim the throne. Tolkien wasn't able to write that type of story, not if he wanted his book published. I would have liked to see what Tolkien could have done if he lived in today's society.
Taking all that into consideration though, my analysis of the two authors is that Martin is the better writer of the two. Not by much though. Mostly it's because his characters are more complex and not so clearly defined as being good or evil. They're more human.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
TMI and GTF
Every generation likes to be different and to "shock" the generations previous. But there are limits that shouldn't be crossed.
Too Much Information (TMI) can push and might cross the lines. TMI is simply saying things that really should be kept private and some people don't mind hearing or reading it. That's fine, as long as it isn't hurtful to anyone. Personally, I don't want to hear about someone else's sex life and the activities they get involved in. I think that should be kept between the person and his/her partner(s). Same thing for hearing details about sicknesses or surgeries. Not really subjects I like discussing.
GTF, on the other hand, is always crossing the line and is usually hurtful to someone. What got me on this subject was an article asking if a comedian telling a joke about a star's miscarriage was going too far. No, I don't know what the joke actually was. Nor will I go looking for it. To me, that was not comedy and definitely went too far. I can't understand how anyone could be asking if it went too far. It should be an automatic response of going too far.
I understand that some people handle difficult situations by joking about them. That's fine if it relates to yourself and your experiences. But never at someone else's expense. Whether or not you like someone, your should respect their privacy and feelings. A traumatic experience, and a miscarriage is traumatic whether or not the baby had been wanted, should be handled with respect and dignity. Not used to poke fun at someone.
I'm sure if it ha been the other way around that the comedian would not have found it funny for the star to make a joke at his expense. Too few people look at how they would feel if the words were said against them rather than by them.
TMI is simply people not filtering their thoughts before speaking. GTF is being malicious, petty, cruel, and bullying. And lest you be someone denying that fact, think about it. The phrase is Going Too Far not Pushing The Limits. If you have to ask if something is GTF then the answer is most likely Yes.
Too Much Information (TMI) can push and might cross the lines. TMI is simply saying things that really should be kept private and some people don't mind hearing or reading it. That's fine, as long as it isn't hurtful to anyone. Personally, I don't want to hear about someone else's sex life and the activities they get involved in. I think that should be kept between the person and his/her partner(s). Same thing for hearing details about sicknesses or surgeries. Not really subjects I like discussing.
GTF, on the other hand, is always crossing the line and is usually hurtful to someone. What got me on this subject was an article asking if a comedian telling a joke about a star's miscarriage was going too far. No, I don't know what the joke actually was. Nor will I go looking for it. To me, that was not comedy and definitely went too far. I can't understand how anyone could be asking if it went too far. It should be an automatic response of going too far.
I understand that some people handle difficult situations by joking about them. That's fine if it relates to yourself and your experiences. But never at someone else's expense. Whether or not you like someone, your should respect their privacy and feelings. A traumatic experience, and a miscarriage is traumatic whether or not the baby had been wanted, should be handled with respect and dignity. Not used to poke fun at someone.
I'm sure if it ha been the other way around that the comedian would not have found it funny for the star to make a joke at his expense. Too few people look at how they would feel if the words were said against them rather than by them.
TMI is simply people not filtering their thoughts before speaking. GTF is being malicious, petty, cruel, and bullying. And lest you be someone denying that fact, think about it. The phrase is Going Too Far not Pushing The Limits. If you have to ask if something is GTF then the answer is most likely Yes.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Hero Stereotypes
In literature, which translates to TV and movies as well, most heroes are stereotypes of some sort. The noble or gallant hero who searches out wrongs to right them, the romantic hero who searches for their true love, the tragic hero who succeeds despite every tragedy ever conceived of happening to him/her, the peasant hero who half the time is a noble hidden from enemies shortly after birth by being raised by a poor family, the reluctant hero who is dragged kicking and screaming into doing great deeds and often showing more courage than people who are supposed to be courageous. etc.
Heroes and villains are clearly defined in children's literature and not so clearly defined in adult literature. But you can still tell a hero from a villain because of the stereotypes. Once in a rare while, an author creates characters that you're not sure if they are the heroes or the villains because sometimes they are the one and sometimes the other.
But most stereotypes don't leave you with that problem. If a character is a hero at the start of the book then he/she will be a hero throughout the book. A villain might start out disguising their nastiness but they will rarely be depicted as a hero first and their villain natures will quickly be shown.
In some ways, it makes stories predictable. By the time I've met all the main characters in a story I know which roles they are playing and can figure out who will triumph in the end. It then becomes the journey which will hold me or not.
Stereotypical heroes can be predictable but, being human, I do have my favorites. A well-written character will be forgiven whatever stereotype they are based on and when I encounter an author who is able to keep me guessing on whether a character is a hero or a villain then I'm in seventh heaven.
Part of the stereotyping seems to be naming the hero. Certain names seem to be considered appropriate for certain roles. Take, for example, the reluctant hero. For some reason, a good third or more of the reluctant heroes I've read or seen in movies and TV shows are named Sam - Samuel, Samson, Sammem, Samwise, Samwell, Samantha, Trissam, etc. There just seems to be something about the name that says "reluctant hero".
Reluctant heroes also seem to be the ones who think they are more cowardly, less intelligent, weaker, and/or have some disability to overcome - being overweight, being lame, being nearsighted, illiterate, etc. Often they have a case of hero worship for another main character and compare themselves unfavorably to their hero. Sometimes their hero will encourage them to be braver or overcome their disability, if possible like illiteracy. Sometimes they will need to rescue their hero although not very often. Most times they will stumble into something where they are the only ones who can make it out to warn their heroes or save people dear to the heroes.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, the reluctant hero is my favorite. Probably because this is usually an average person who manages to rise above their fears and show that they have as much or more courage than the people everyone looks up to. They are also usually the people supporting the main hero and offering the encouragement needed for the main hero to continue on his/her quest. Reluctant heroes can be the main characters but they are usually the sidekicks who become main characters.
Because, you know, that's how stereotypes work.
Heroes and villains are clearly defined in children's literature and not so clearly defined in adult literature. But you can still tell a hero from a villain because of the stereotypes. Once in a rare while, an author creates characters that you're not sure if they are the heroes or the villains because sometimes they are the one and sometimes the other.
But most stereotypes don't leave you with that problem. If a character is a hero at the start of the book then he/she will be a hero throughout the book. A villain might start out disguising their nastiness but they will rarely be depicted as a hero first and their villain natures will quickly be shown.
In some ways, it makes stories predictable. By the time I've met all the main characters in a story I know which roles they are playing and can figure out who will triumph in the end. It then becomes the journey which will hold me or not.
Stereotypical heroes can be predictable but, being human, I do have my favorites. A well-written character will be forgiven whatever stereotype they are based on and when I encounter an author who is able to keep me guessing on whether a character is a hero or a villain then I'm in seventh heaven.
Part of the stereotyping seems to be naming the hero. Certain names seem to be considered appropriate for certain roles. Take, for example, the reluctant hero. For some reason, a good third or more of the reluctant heroes I've read or seen in movies and TV shows are named Sam - Samuel, Samson, Sammem, Samwise, Samwell, Samantha, Trissam, etc. There just seems to be something about the name that says "reluctant hero".
Reluctant heroes also seem to be the ones who think they are more cowardly, less intelligent, weaker, and/or have some disability to overcome - being overweight, being lame, being nearsighted, illiterate, etc. Often they have a case of hero worship for another main character and compare themselves unfavorably to their hero. Sometimes their hero will encourage them to be braver or overcome their disability, if possible like illiteracy. Sometimes they will need to rescue their hero although not very often. Most times they will stumble into something where they are the only ones who can make it out to warn their heroes or save people dear to the heroes.
In case you haven't figured it out yet, the reluctant hero is my favorite. Probably because this is usually an average person who manages to rise above their fears and show that they have as much or more courage than the people everyone looks up to. They are also usually the people supporting the main hero and offering the encouragement needed for the main hero to continue on his/her quest. Reluctant heroes can be the main characters but they are usually the sidekicks who become main characters.
Because, you know, that's how stereotypes work.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Oxymorons
Most people know what an oxymoron is supposed to be - a combination of words with opposite or very different meanings. Jokes get made about them all the time. But the real oxymorons seem to be accepted much more readily.
For example, I see headlines about famous people taking secrets to the grave. Yet the magazines are apparently telling what those secrets are. Which makes it an oxymoron. A secret taken to the grave is secret only if no one knows about it. That's the definition of a secret - something no one else knows.
Yet people will read and believe the articles. I can understand why the term secret is still used. No one wants to read about the knowledge or the information that so-and-so took to his/her grave. It doesn't sound scandalous.
If I had a secret to take to my grave, I would make certain no one knew it and there was nothing around that even hinted at it. Otherwise it would be the secret I kept in life. And that someone spilled once I was no longer living.
But no one wants to see "Someone who might be famous but probably isn't spills the secrets of a famous person who had trusted him/her with them" or "Secrets of so-and-so exposed". Well, actually, that second headline might get attention. But see the words "The secret so-and-so took to the grave" and you get people buying the magazine like crazy.
Because "private lives of the stars" is another oxymoron. Once people becomes famous they don't have a private life. Often, their family members don't either. For some strange reason, we seem to feel that a person gives up the right to privacy once he/she becomes famous. We think we have the right to root through their history and hold up every mistake to the light of day. Yet, let anyone try and do that back to one of us and privacy laws get quoted and lawsuits are threatened.
But this post is about oxymorons not double standards. Although the two can go hand in hand. Most double standards are or can be considered oxymorons. A lot of oxymorons are concepts that should be able to go together but for one reason or another don't so that rather than being truths they have become oxymorons. Probably the biggest oxymoron out there is common sense. Because it really isn't that common any more. Which is a shame because the world needs more of it. Maybe if we got it we'd be able to turn that other big oxymoron back into a truth instead. World peace.
For example, I see headlines about famous people taking secrets to the grave. Yet the magazines are apparently telling what those secrets are. Which makes it an oxymoron. A secret taken to the grave is secret only if no one knows about it. That's the definition of a secret - something no one else knows.
Yet people will read and believe the articles. I can understand why the term secret is still used. No one wants to read about the knowledge or the information that so-and-so took to his/her grave. It doesn't sound scandalous.
If I had a secret to take to my grave, I would make certain no one knew it and there was nothing around that even hinted at it. Otherwise it would be the secret I kept in life. And that someone spilled once I was no longer living.
But no one wants to see "Someone who might be famous but probably isn't spills the secrets of a famous person who had trusted him/her with them" or "Secrets of so-and-so exposed". Well, actually, that second headline might get attention. But see the words "The secret so-and-so took to the grave" and you get people buying the magazine like crazy.
Because "private lives of the stars" is another oxymoron. Once people becomes famous they don't have a private life. Often, their family members don't either. For some strange reason, we seem to feel that a person gives up the right to privacy once he/she becomes famous. We think we have the right to root through their history and hold up every mistake to the light of day. Yet, let anyone try and do that back to one of us and privacy laws get quoted and lawsuits are threatened.
But this post is about oxymorons not double standards. Although the two can go hand in hand. Most double standards are or can be considered oxymorons. A lot of oxymorons are concepts that should be able to go together but for one reason or another don't so that rather than being truths they have become oxymorons. Probably the biggest oxymoron out there is common sense. Because it really isn't that common any more. Which is a shame because the world needs more of it. Maybe if we got it we'd be able to turn that other big oxymoron back into a truth instead. World peace.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Attitudes and Platitudes
The problem with having a normally cheerful, upbeat, slightly sarcastic, and often tongue-in-cheek attitude is that people don't tend to take negative comments seriously. On the Internet, whether in posts or through emails, I try and make sure people know when I'm not being serious. I use emoticons where they'll show up and otherwise put my mood in asterisks.
So when a friend posted "Sometimes, just sometimes things happen for a reason and it leads to something even better. Just breathe and think positively." my response was "I'm running out of positive thoughts. Care to share some?" Rather than realizing I was being serious, she thought I was being tongue-in-cheek and liked my post. If I had been cheeky, I would have added ":P" after so the emoticon would have shown up. But at the time I answered I was feeling down because of all the bad things that had been hitting one after another for the past couple of months. I really could not have come up with a positive thought if someone had paid me. Although that would have been a positive thought to think someone would pay me for my thoughts.
I wasn't looking for a platitude in response. I'm good at giving those so I don't need them back. *being sort of cheeky with that line but also serious* But I was looking for a touch of sympathy and maybe even some concern. I'm not a person who shouts my cares to the world but I watch my friends so I can see when they need a bit of cheering up or cheering on or just plain cheering for accomplishing something. So when I post something that should shout to them that I need some cheering up I expect them to be watching for it as well.
Foolish me. I should know by now that few people are like me and watch others for those subtle signs that tell of problems in their lives. Too many people are used to the current generation's tendency to tell all and expect people to come out and say they are having troubles. I'm not that way though.
I have no trouble with people telling their life stories online. Personally I think there's too much information sometimes and that certain things should stay private but that's my attitude and applies to my life. If I'm asked, I'll give advice but otherwise I'll keep it to myself. Except in the case of my daughter, of course, but even there she'll usually come looking for advice when she wants it. Generally speaking though, unless I know a person will consider my advice carefully, I give out platitudes with my advice. It's sort of my way of showing that I know the person doesn't really want to follow my advice but is asking to make me feel like my opinion is valued.
I don't expect anyone to follow my advice blindly. The only piece of advice I've ever given that I do expect to be followed is "Listen to the advice you get offered and consider it carefully. What works for one person might not be the best solution for yourself but at least give the person offering the advice the respect of considering their words seriously." After all, everyone is unique. But often what works for one person will work for another. It might need a bit of modification for the specific situation and personality but the overall theory works. However, you have to consider the advice given and not simply dismiss it.
I think the most important advice I can give anyone, and yes it is a platitude, is to know yourself and to realize that everyone sees things differently. Learn to see how your friends act and react so that you can understand them better and be wary of assuming that people act for the same reasons you do. Because I can assure you, they won't always have the same reasons or responses. I just need to watch anyone, friend or stranger, to realize that.
So when a friend posted "Sometimes, just sometimes things happen for a reason and it leads to something even better. Just breathe and think positively." my response was "I'm running out of positive thoughts. Care to share some?" Rather than realizing I was being serious, she thought I was being tongue-in-cheek and liked my post. If I had been cheeky, I would have added ":P" after so the emoticon would have shown up. But at the time I answered I was feeling down because of all the bad things that had been hitting one after another for the past couple of months. I really could not have come up with a positive thought if someone had paid me. Although that would have been a positive thought to think someone would pay me for my thoughts.
I wasn't looking for a platitude in response. I'm good at giving those so I don't need them back. *being sort of cheeky with that line but also serious* But I was looking for a touch of sympathy and maybe even some concern. I'm not a person who shouts my cares to the world but I watch my friends so I can see when they need a bit of cheering up or cheering on or just plain cheering for accomplishing something. So when I post something that should shout to them that I need some cheering up I expect them to be watching for it as well.
Foolish me. I should know by now that few people are like me and watch others for those subtle signs that tell of problems in their lives. Too many people are used to the current generation's tendency to tell all and expect people to come out and say they are having troubles. I'm not that way though.
I have no trouble with people telling their life stories online. Personally I think there's too much information sometimes and that certain things should stay private but that's my attitude and applies to my life. If I'm asked, I'll give advice but otherwise I'll keep it to myself. Except in the case of my daughter, of course, but even there she'll usually come looking for advice when she wants it. Generally speaking though, unless I know a person will consider my advice carefully, I give out platitudes with my advice. It's sort of my way of showing that I know the person doesn't really want to follow my advice but is asking to make me feel like my opinion is valued.
I don't expect anyone to follow my advice blindly. The only piece of advice I've ever given that I do expect to be followed is "Listen to the advice you get offered and consider it carefully. What works for one person might not be the best solution for yourself but at least give the person offering the advice the respect of considering their words seriously." After all, everyone is unique. But often what works for one person will work for another. It might need a bit of modification for the specific situation and personality but the overall theory works. However, you have to consider the advice given and not simply dismiss it.
I think the most important advice I can give anyone, and yes it is a platitude, is to know yourself and to realize that everyone sees things differently. Learn to see how your friends act and react so that you can understand them better and be wary of assuming that people act for the same reasons you do. Because I can assure you, they won't always have the same reasons or responses. I just need to watch anyone, friend or stranger, to realize that.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Labels, Double Standards, and Gender Equality
I often wonder when we started applying labels to everyone and everything. Obviously, the more complicated our language became, the more labels got created. But did the first cavemen have specific grunts for "Weird, nonconformist person not popular, ignore him/her"?
It seems we have to label people even though one label doesn't fully describe any body. Yet we try and make a label that does. "He's a conservative." "She's a Luddite." "They are Russian." That describes one factor - political leanings, religion, or nationality - but doesn't describe the person.
There's also the fact that some labels are double standards and sexist. A guy can do something and be cheered for it. A woman does it and she's made to feel ashamed. Sometimes it works the other way but not often. Usually when it does it involves something that is traditionally considered to be a female trait or responsibility.
So why do we try to pic people into categories and gender roles? Part of it is the way we got programmed genetically during the years our survival depended on clan structures and low technology. When it took several men working together to bring down enough animals to provide for the clan, the hunters had to be able to survive the rigors of the hunt. Men are, generally speaking, stronger and faster and more aware of danger than females. Females are, generally speaking, more attuned to tending for and raising the children and handling the domestic work, although some of that could require a lot of strength. Ever chop wood?
For the clans' survival, gender roles became established traditions and people were set into roles that utilized their skills best. People good at cooking became the bakers and cooks, people with deft hands sewed clothes and made objects needed for other jobs. So they got labels - Baker, Blacksmith, Hunter, Woodsman, Washerwoman, Tailor, etc.
As our technology developed it became easier for people to cross gender defined lines and take up other jobs. But simply because it was easier to physically do the job didn't mean it was socially acceptable to do so. We are not a species that adapts quickly and our mental attitudes are the slowest to change. We are quick to assume, faster to speak, slow to accept we can be wrong, and nearly impossible to get to apologize or admit we were wrong.
We use our traditions, our cultural standards, and our religions to keep people in narrowly defined roles. There has been some improvement over the past half century towards gender equality but there is still a lot of resistance. Children are still taught at home first so old attitudes get set in them before they start mixing with other children and ideas.
A good portion of the problem is that society tends to define what is morally right and wrong. As society changes, the morals also change. But people who are raised believing one thing is right tend to resist changes in society especially when it now tells them that what they were raised to believe in is wrong. Their society is what they try to hold on to and enforce on the new evolving society.
What we need to learn to do and teach our children to do is to look at the standards our society is setting without our standards getting in the way. A task that is practically impossible because we don't know how to be impartial. As impartial as I try to be, I know my views and values influence my judgement and thus my interpretation and evaluation of any changes society is making. But I at least make the effort and when I doubt my own impartiality I give myself time to let the concepts rattle around in the back of my brain before pulling them back out to look at them again.
Sometimes I change my opinion and sometimes I don't. But I accept the fact that I will not approve of all the changes made in society. Then again, I am but one person so my views have to be part of the whole and not the sole viewpoint. And when the majority decide against how I feel, I will accept it. Doesn't mean I'll like it but society is not one person.
It seems we have to label people even though one label doesn't fully describe any body. Yet we try and make a label that does. "He's a conservative." "She's a Luddite." "They are Russian." That describes one factor - political leanings, religion, or nationality - but doesn't describe the person.
There's also the fact that some labels are double standards and sexist. A guy can do something and be cheered for it. A woman does it and she's made to feel ashamed. Sometimes it works the other way but not often. Usually when it does it involves something that is traditionally considered to be a female trait or responsibility.
So why do we try to pic people into categories and gender roles? Part of it is the way we got programmed genetically during the years our survival depended on clan structures and low technology. When it took several men working together to bring down enough animals to provide for the clan, the hunters had to be able to survive the rigors of the hunt. Men are, generally speaking, stronger and faster and more aware of danger than females. Females are, generally speaking, more attuned to tending for and raising the children and handling the domestic work, although some of that could require a lot of strength. Ever chop wood?
For the clans' survival, gender roles became established traditions and people were set into roles that utilized their skills best. People good at cooking became the bakers and cooks, people with deft hands sewed clothes and made objects needed for other jobs. So they got labels - Baker, Blacksmith, Hunter, Woodsman, Washerwoman, Tailor, etc.
As our technology developed it became easier for people to cross gender defined lines and take up other jobs. But simply because it was easier to physically do the job didn't mean it was socially acceptable to do so. We are not a species that adapts quickly and our mental attitudes are the slowest to change. We are quick to assume, faster to speak, slow to accept we can be wrong, and nearly impossible to get to apologize or admit we were wrong.
We use our traditions, our cultural standards, and our religions to keep people in narrowly defined roles. There has been some improvement over the past half century towards gender equality but there is still a lot of resistance. Children are still taught at home first so old attitudes get set in them before they start mixing with other children and ideas.
A good portion of the problem is that society tends to define what is morally right and wrong. As society changes, the morals also change. But people who are raised believing one thing is right tend to resist changes in society especially when it now tells them that what they were raised to believe in is wrong. Their society is what they try to hold on to and enforce on the new evolving society.
What we need to learn to do and teach our children to do is to look at the standards our society is setting without our standards getting in the way. A task that is practically impossible because we don't know how to be impartial. As impartial as I try to be, I know my views and values influence my judgement and thus my interpretation and evaluation of any changes society is making. But I at least make the effort and when I doubt my own impartiality I give myself time to let the concepts rattle around in the back of my brain before pulling them back out to look at them again.
Sometimes I change my opinion and sometimes I don't. But I accept the fact that I will not approve of all the changes made in society. Then again, I am but one person so my views have to be part of the whole and not the sole viewpoint. And when the majority decide against how I feel, I will accept it. Doesn't mean I'll like it but society is not one person.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Quizzes. Memes. and Other Internet Fun
Back when the Internet was first developed no one had any idea of the outbreak of quizzes, memes, social media, and sheer knowledge that would flood it. Of course, there's also all the fake knowledge out there as well as porn. Put any combination of words in a search engine and you will get a hit.
Don't believe me? Try five random words and see what comes up.
Quizzes, memes, and games probably take up the most time of anyone surfing nowadays. Although there are some sites where you can lose hours just checking it out (*cough* Cheezburger *cough*). It can be fun to take some of the quizzes just to see what questions get asked and what results you get.
For instance, I took one for alignment as per Dungeons and Dragons. Now most people would say I'm Lawful Good but I came out as Neutral Good, something I happen to agree with for once. But the questions made no sense for me. What were the pictures they asked me to choose from? None of the crests were ones I'd really have so I picked the one most visually appealing (which was probably the point instead of the emblems on them). Some things they referenced went straight over my head because I didn't know anything about the options listed.
Which is a truth I find with most quizzes. Most of the time the questions seem to have no reverence to the subject but somehow my answers give clues to how much I am a person of Neutral Good alignment or a person whose clothing style would match Jack Sparrow or how Sven would be my best friend or whatever the quiz is for. Reminds me of the application questionnaires for employment only the quizzes don't ask the same questions over and over again and usually entertain me a lot more.
So quizzes are entertaining. They are meant to be entertaining, same as memes. Memes are meant to share humour by taking a picture and captioning it. Some of them are very funny. Some aren't. Which is the nature of humour after all. We all find different things funny. The popular ones get spread around the Internet so depending on where you surf you can see the same meme several dozen times.
Or, if your friends are varied and don't share the same friends with you, you can see it several dozen times on FaceBook. Social media is the dumping ground for anything people want to share. See a funny picture? Share on FB. Seen a funny meme? Share on FB. Seen a good joke? Share on FB.
I'm lucky that my friends list is still small so I don't get tons of whatever popular meme or picture is going around. I do have a couple of friends who constantly post links sharing pictures, memes, and jokes. Some are ones I want a copy of so I follow the link back to see if I can take a personal copy of the picture. But usually I look, maybe smile, and continue on.
The Internet can be a place of fun but it can also take up a huge chunk of my time. Luckily, I have friends who are willing to spend time scanning through all those sites to share links so I don't have to scan through all those sites looking for pictures to share. It's thanks to them that I can take quizzes, read memes, laugh at pictures, videos, and jokes, and know without any doubt that the Internet is better for having all this shared.
And in case anyone is wondering, that last paragraph was mostly written as tongue-in-cheek. The first line is completely serious.
Don't believe me? Try five random words and see what comes up.
Quizzes, memes, and games probably take up the most time of anyone surfing nowadays. Although there are some sites where you can lose hours just checking it out (*cough* Cheezburger *cough*). It can be fun to take some of the quizzes just to see what questions get asked and what results you get.
For instance, I took one for alignment as per Dungeons and Dragons. Now most people would say I'm Lawful Good but I came out as Neutral Good, something I happen to agree with for once. But the questions made no sense for me. What were the pictures they asked me to choose from? None of the crests were ones I'd really have so I picked the one most visually appealing (which was probably the point instead of the emblems on them). Some things they referenced went straight over my head because I didn't know anything about the options listed.
Which is a truth I find with most quizzes. Most of the time the questions seem to have no reverence to the subject but somehow my answers give clues to how much I am a person of Neutral Good alignment or a person whose clothing style would match Jack Sparrow or how Sven would be my best friend or whatever the quiz is for. Reminds me of the application questionnaires for employment only the quizzes don't ask the same questions over and over again and usually entertain me a lot more.
So quizzes are entertaining. They are meant to be entertaining, same as memes. Memes are meant to share humour by taking a picture and captioning it. Some of them are very funny. Some aren't. Which is the nature of humour after all. We all find different things funny. The popular ones get spread around the Internet so depending on where you surf you can see the same meme several dozen times.
Or, if your friends are varied and don't share the same friends with you, you can see it several dozen times on FaceBook. Social media is the dumping ground for anything people want to share. See a funny picture? Share on FB. Seen a funny meme? Share on FB. Seen a good joke? Share on FB.
I'm lucky that my friends list is still small so I don't get tons of whatever popular meme or picture is going around. I do have a couple of friends who constantly post links sharing pictures, memes, and jokes. Some are ones I want a copy of so I follow the link back to see if I can take a personal copy of the picture. But usually I look, maybe smile, and continue on.
The Internet can be a place of fun but it can also take up a huge chunk of my time. Luckily, I have friends who are willing to spend time scanning through all those sites to share links so I don't have to scan through all those sites looking for pictures to share. It's thanks to them that I can take quizzes, read memes, laugh at pictures, videos, and jokes, and know without any doubt that the Internet is better for having all this shared.
And in case anyone is wondering, that last paragraph was mostly written as tongue-in-cheek. The first line is completely serious.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Bullying, Cyber-bullying, and Peer Pressure
We all suffer from peer pressure. There's no way around it - we all want to be liked and wanted. It's natural and some people take advantage of it. We also, as a species, tend to form groups and the pressure on us as we grow up is immense to belong to at least one of these groups - popular, sports, brainy, even nerdy groups. Some groups have a higher social standing (popular people, sport, etc) and often draw bullies to them.
Bullies are, in my eyes, some of the most craven people in society. They use their wealth or size or popularity to intimidate weaker people. I can understand why bullies get away with bullying. Since they usually are physically larger and richer than their victims no one wants to push a confrontation. Bullies also surround themselves with other people who would also be bullies if they were capable of taking the lead. Usually they aren't as confident but since they also have the bullying streak in them they become associates of stronger bullies.
Most bullies, though, aren't capable of handling themselves on a one-to-one basis if their victim has the courage to stand up to them. Bullies count on their victims' lack of self-confidence and smaller size to make them scared so they won't stand up. Bullies are simply cowards who look for people they can prey on. You will never see a bully go after someone who is capable of standing up for themselves and keeping calm.
Bullies also rely on the fact that if their victim tries to speak up, it's their word against the other person. No proof. And it's always possible to find an area where the victim will be alone or in an area without any support handy if they do want to beat them up.
So, I understand how bullies continue to plague society especially in schools.
But cyber-bullying, now that I find difficult to understand why it is becoming such an issue. It's easy to block someone from posting on your FaceBook wall and emails can be sent automatically to the junk folder or deleted and the senders blocked. No one forces you to open the email and read it. You have time to look at anything posted and figure out a calm response to it. If you're good with words or know someone good with words you can twist the post back on the bully and make them look as small and petty as they really are.
Someone posts online and you have proof of harassment and bullying. Sure, I know there isn't a lot being done to persecute cyber-bullies yet but the pressure has to be put on authorities to do something. Letting the person continue to post simply means you're willing to be a victim.
Perhaps most importantly, learn to accept that people are going to be cruel and accept that you don't need to be liked or wanted by those people. Develop a thick skin and look for the people worthy of being your friends and family. They will like you for yourself and want to be with you.
And all those bullies? When people stop paying attention to them, eventually they go away. Bullies want people to be scared of them and if you're ignoring them then the tactics aren't working and they aren't having fun. They'll go looking for another victim. And if all the potential victims learn to ignore bullies or laugh at their antics or simply stand up for themselves then bullies will have to grow up or else pick on one another.
I had someone try to pick on me when I was in grades 5 and 6. It was a group of about 9 people. They started in late winter/early spring of grade 5 and picked up again when we came back for grade 6. However, I'd had the summer to learn a few fighting tricks and when the bullies started on me I challenged the leader. I remember the group surrounding us as we fought by the back wall of the school. I didn't win the fight but I was left alone after that. I showed I was willing to stand up for myself so I wasn't a victim anymore.
Now I use words and looks when someone tries to bully me. I found that I would be left alone when I gave a bully a pitying look and said "It must be hard to have such a bad life that you need to bully people." Or variations on that theme. Basically, I tell the bully that I feel sorry for him/her and that makes them go away. So far no one has tried to bully me online. Which is probably good for me, I have a sinking feeling I would respond criticizing their spelling, grammar, and content which would make me a form of bully. Something I don't want to be.
Because I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
Bullies are, in my eyes, some of the most craven people in society. They use their wealth or size or popularity to intimidate weaker people. I can understand why bullies get away with bullying. Since they usually are physically larger and richer than their victims no one wants to push a confrontation. Bullies also surround themselves with other people who would also be bullies if they were capable of taking the lead. Usually they aren't as confident but since they also have the bullying streak in them they become associates of stronger bullies.
Most bullies, though, aren't capable of handling themselves on a one-to-one basis if their victim has the courage to stand up to them. Bullies count on their victims' lack of self-confidence and smaller size to make them scared so they won't stand up. Bullies are simply cowards who look for people they can prey on. You will never see a bully go after someone who is capable of standing up for themselves and keeping calm.
Bullies also rely on the fact that if their victim tries to speak up, it's their word against the other person. No proof. And it's always possible to find an area where the victim will be alone or in an area without any support handy if they do want to beat them up.
So, I understand how bullies continue to plague society especially in schools.
But cyber-bullying, now that I find difficult to understand why it is becoming such an issue. It's easy to block someone from posting on your FaceBook wall and emails can be sent automatically to the junk folder or deleted and the senders blocked. No one forces you to open the email and read it. You have time to look at anything posted and figure out a calm response to it. If you're good with words or know someone good with words you can twist the post back on the bully and make them look as small and petty as they really are.
Someone posts online and you have proof of harassment and bullying. Sure, I know there isn't a lot being done to persecute cyber-bullies yet but the pressure has to be put on authorities to do something. Letting the person continue to post simply means you're willing to be a victim.
Perhaps most importantly, learn to accept that people are going to be cruel and accept that you don't need to be liked or wanted by those people. Develop a thick skin and look for the people worthy of being your friends and family. They will like you for yourself and want to be with you.
And all those bullies? When people stop paying attention to them, eventually they go away. Bullies want people to be scared of them and if you're ignoring them then the tactics aren't working and they aren't having fun. They'll go looking for another victim. And if all the potential victims learn to ignore bullies or laugh at their antics or simply stand up for themselves then bullies will have to grow up or else pick on one another.
I had someone try to pick on me when I was in grades 5 and 6. It was a group of about 9 people. They started in late winter/early spring of grade 5 and picked up again when we came back for grade 6. However, I'd had the summer to learn a few fighting tricks and when the bullies started on me I challenged the leader. I remember the group surrounding us as we fought by the back wall of the school. I didn't win the fight but I was left alone after that. I showed I was willing to stand up for myself so I wasn't a victim anymore.
Now I use words and looks when someone tries to bully me. I found that I would be left alone when I gave a bully a pitying look and said "It must be hard to have such a bad life that you need to bully people." Or variations on that theme. Basically, I tell the bully that I feel sorry for him/her and that makes them go away. So far no one has tried to bully me online. Which is probably good for me, I have a sinking feeling I would respond criticizing their spelling, grammar, and content which would make me a form of bully. Something I don't want to be.
Because I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Old Work Stories
Enough years have passed now that I can tell a few stories from when I worked at a call centre for cell phones.
Working customer service for inbound calls can really be irritating and stressful. Sometimes the calls were fine, just a quick payment on the account, maybe a change in plans, or ordering a new phone. Quick and simple calls. Then there were the other calls.
Most of the time it was about the bill. Cell phone bills aren't really that complicated but you do need to read through the entire bill to make sense of some of the charges. You should also know your plan, what sort of things you can be charged for, and the date your billing cycle changes.
Some of the calls I got were simple to figure out, a charge got applied on one bill and a credit was applied on another. This happened a lot when someone ordered a new phone. Any credits got applied immediately but it took a couple of days before charges for the phone got applied. So if the billing cycle changed during that time...credit on one bill, charge on the next.
Some customers caught on fast once it was explained but some of them...oh boy. We used to joke that if customers had to take an intelligence test first there wouldn't be very many cell phones sold. Because some people really did seem to be quite stupid. And I don't like saying people are stupid. Doing stupid things, yes, but being stupid, no.
So, customers calling in about their bills were either confused and pleasant or irritated, The irritated customers gave us some of our funniest calls too. Also some of the most frustrating. I had a customer call once who wanted us to remove a one cent charge from his credit card bill. Not give him a credit on his cell phone bill but to credit one cent off his credit card which had been charged. He didn't ask for a supervisor or manager and I was stuck trying to convince him that I couldn't touch his credit card account except by applying a credit to his cell phone bill which would then be paid by his credit card. Twenty minutes later he finally hung up on me without accepting any credit on his account. *rolls eyes* Honestly, one cent?
Another time I got a customer upset at being charged because a promotion had expired and she hadn't noticed the message on her previous three invoices telling her the promotion was about to expire. The promotion was also no longer available, having been replaced by another, similar promotion. She wanted her old promotion back, all charges credited to her and an apology. I advised her that she had been notified on the previous three invoices and she snapped "Who reads their entire bill like that?" Foolishly, I answered that I read the entire bills I receive. Ooooooo, All of a sudden I was "Miss Angel, so perfect" and after a few more minutes she asked for a supervisor. I was willing to add on the new promotion, with the contract extension required at that time, and credit back the charges but wouldn't credit the other charges on the same bill.
In looking over her account I saw that she called in every two months to get credits for charges for going over her minutes or roaming. Customers were not supposed to be credited that often so I was refusing to credit back legitimate charges. She didn't want the contract extension and was obviously used to bullying other care reps into crediting the charges. When I wouldn't she wanted my supervisor. Now she had called on a weekend in the evening and we had one or two supervisors on duty to accept calls at that time. So there was a wait for one to get free. When I finally got Peter on the line, it was 5 minutes before his time on call duty was over. I knew she was going to take some time and offered to go back into queue to let another supervisor take the call but he knew his duty and said to bring her through. Now every time I spoke with her she called me "Miss Angel" in the most derisive voice she could manage. So when I went back and spoke her name she said "Yes, Miss Angel". Barely hanging on to my laughter I said "I have Peter on the line with us. He's one of the supervisors on duty tonight and will be taking over the call now." There was absolute silence from her because she hadn't wanted a supervisor to hear her like that.
An hour later Peter came by my desk and told me that he had just gotten off the phone *wince" and she had ended up calling him the Devil because he threatened to remove some of the credits previously applied for legitimate charges. We had a good laugh and for a few days afterward greeted one another as the devil and the angel.
Sometimes customers called in because they were having trouble with their phones and we had to troubleshoot them. I had one woman call in because her phone kept hanging up when she got a call. By that time I had gotten a few customers who simply had pressed the wrong button when making and receiving calls so I asked her to run me through what she did when the phone rang. So she told me that she would pick up the phone and push the press while ringing button to answer. This startled me and I asked "The press while ringing button?" and she said she had been told to press the PWR (Press While Ringing) button when the phone rang. I had to take a minute to keep from breaking off in laughter and as gently as I could I told her "Ma'am, that's the power button." Silence for a moment then click as she hung up. Good thing I had set myself up in after call because I laughed for a couple of minutes.
One of the steps we took when troubleshooting was to have the customer turn off and then turn back on their phone to see if it simply needed to re-register with the cell towers. We could usually tell when a customer was calling in on their cell phones but for some reason when we asked if their were on a landline they would say yes. Even advising them that we needed to turn the phone off and then back on didn't seem to clue them in. So, for the particularly dense customers, we would proceed with troubleshooting and, sure enough, they would disconnect. For the ones that listened we sometimes either called them back on a landline or they called back when they got someplace that had one.
The group I worked with were Resolution Specialists. Officially our job was to de-escalate calls that regular care reps couldn't. We could offer a few more things and had a higher limit for crediting charges but we still weren't supervisors. Unofficially, we were to reduce the calls going to the supervisors as well as settle customer disputes. We did good, as a group we reduced call volume to the supervisors by over 80%.
We'd often compare notes on calls and sometimes asked for advice when a particularly complicated situation arose. Usually we handled our own calls. None of us spoke loudly so it was always fun when one of us stood up and raised our voices enough for everyone else to hear. One of us was so quiet and mild mannered that we never heard his calls. So we were all surprised one day to see him stand up then clearly say "Sir, I must advise you that putting Vaseline on your phone will void your warranty." We looked at each other then hastily tried to muffle our laughter as he continued with his call.
Dealing with cell phones as we did, it was amazing how little some customers knew about the devices. More than once we'd have a customer call in having trouble with their phone only to find out the battery was low or some other simple problem that a bit of common sense would have solved. One customer called in because her phone never worked and in the process of troubleshooting the rep found out that the battery was not attached "because it made the phone too heavy."
One customer called in so irate at his phone not working that he said he had even gone to the roof of his building to see if he could get reception. The rep told him to "try another roof". Which was the wrong response but apparently the customer had been quite rude up to that point and the rep ran out of patience.
But I think the call that made me think there really were stupid people out there was the one I received when the area the customer was in was in the middle of a hurricane and cell towers were down as well as power being out and the area was being battered by heavy rain and winds. He wanted to know why his phone wasn't working and when I told him that the storm had brought down the cell towers demanded to know why there wasn't a crew out there working on it. Really?
Reminded me of the customer who called Tech Support because her computer wasn't working and when asked to check the power cord to make sure it was securely plugged in responded that she couldn't see to do that. The power was out.
Working customer service for inbound calls can really be irritating and stressful. Sometimes the calls were fine, just a quick payment on the account, maybe a change in plans, or ordering a new phone. Quick and simple calls. Then there were the other calls.
Most of the time it was about the bill. Cell phone bills aren't really that complicated but you do need to read through the entire bill to make sense of some of the charges. You should also know your plan, what sort of things you can be charged for, and the date your billing cycle changes.
Some of the calls I got were simple to figure out, a charge got applied on one bill and a credit was applied on another. This happened a lot when someone ordered a new phone. Any credits got applied immediately but it took a couple of days before charges for the phone got applied. So if the billing cycle changed during that time...credit on one bill, charge on the next.
Some customers caught on fast once it was explained but some of them...oh boy. We used to joke that if customers had to take an intelligence test first there wouldn't be very many cell phones sold. Because some people really did seem to be quite stupid. And I don't like saying people are stupid. Doing stupid things, yes, but being stupid, no.
So, customers calling in about their bills were either confused and pleasant or irritated, The irritated customers gave us some of our funniest calls too. Also some of the most frustrating. I had a customer call once who wanted us to remove a one cent charge from his credit card bill. Not give him a credit on his cell phone bill but to credit one cent off his credit card which had been charged. He didn't ask for a supervisor or manager and I was stuck trying to convince him that I couldn't touch his credit card account except by applying a credit to his cell phone bill which would then be paid by his credit card. Twenty minutes later he finally hung up on me without accepting any credit on his account. *rolls eyes* Honestly, one cent?
Another time I got a customer upset at being charged because a promotion had expired and she hadn't noticed the message on her previous three invoices telling her the promotion was about to expire. The promotion was also no longer available, having been replaced by another, similar promotion. She wanted her old promotion back, all charges credited to her and an apology. I advised her that she had been notified on the previous three invoices and she snapped "Who reads their entire bill like that?" Foolishly, I answered that I read the entire bills I receive. Ooooooo, All of a sudden I was "Miss Angel, so perfect" and after a few more minutes she asked for a supervisor. I was willing to add on the new promotion, with the contract extension required at that time, and credit back the charges but wouldn't credit the other charges on the same bill.
In looking over her account I saw that she called in every two months to get credits for charges for going over her minutes or roaming. Customers were not supposed to be credited that often so I was refusing to credit back legitimate charges. She didn't want the contract extension and was obviously used to bullying other care reps into crediting the charges. When I wouldn't she wanted my supervisor. Now she had called on a weekend in the evening and we had one or two supervisors on duty to accept calls at that time. So there was a wait for one to get free. When I finally got Peter on the line, it was 5 minutes before his time on call duty was over. I knew she was going to take some time and offered to go back into queue to let another supervisor take the call but he knew his duty and said to bring her through. Now every time I spoke with her she called me "Miss Angel" in the most derisive voice she could manage. So when I went back and spoke her name she said "Yes, Miss Angel". Barely hanging on to my laughter I said "I have Peter on the line with us. He's one of the supervisors on duty tonight and will be taking over the call now." There was absolute silence from her because she hadn't wanted a supervisor to hear her like that.
An hour later Peter came by my desk and told me that he had just gotten off the phone *wince" and she had ended up calling him the Devil because he threatened to remove some of the credits previously applied for legitimate charges. We had a good laugh and for a few days afterward greeted one another as the devil and the angel.
Sometimes customers called in because they were having trouble with their phones and we had to troubleshoot them. I had one woman call in because her phone kept hanging up when she got a call. By that time I had gotten a few customers who simply had pressed the wrong button when making and receiving calls so I asked her to run me through what she did when the phone rang. So she told me that she would pick up the phone and push the press while ringing button to answer. This startled me and I asked "The press while ringing button?" and she said she had been told to press the PWR (Press While Ringing) button when the phone rang. I had to take a minute to keep from breaking off in laughter and as gently as I could I told her "Ma'am, that's the power button." Silence for a moment then click as she hung up. Good thing I had set myself up in after call because I laughed for a couple of minutes.
One of the steps we took when troubleshooting was to have the customer turn off and then turn back on their phone to see if it simply needed to re-register with the cell towers. We could usually tell when a customer was calling in on their cell phones but for some reason when we asked if their were on a landline they would say yes. Even advising them that we needed to turn the phone off and then back on didn't seem to clue them in. So, for the particularly dense customers, we would proceed with troubleshooting and, sure enough, they would disconnect. For the ones that listened we sometimes either called them back on a landline or they called back when they got someplace that had one.
The group I worked with were Resolution Specialists. Officially our job was to de-escalate calls that regular care reps couldn't. We could offer a few more things and had a higher limit for crediting charges but we still weren't supervisors. Unofficially, we were to reduce the calls going to the supervisors as well as settle customer disputes. We did good, as a group we reduced call volume to the supervisors by over 80%.
We'd often compare notes on calls and sometimes asked for advice when a particularly complicated situation arose. Usually we handled our own calls. None of us spoke loudly so it was always fun when one of us stood up and raised our voices enough for everyone else to hear. One of us was so quiet and mild mannered that we never heard his calls. So we were all surprised one day to see him stand up then clearly say "Sir, I must advise you that putting Vaseline on your phone will void your warranty." We looked at each other then hastily tried to muffle our laughter as he continued with his call.
Dealing with cell phones as we did, it was amazing how little some customers knew about the devices. More than once we'd have a customer call in having trouble with their phone only to find out the battery was low or some other simple problem that a bit of common sense would have solved. One customer called in because her phone never worked and in the process of troubleshooting the rep found out that the battery was not attached "because it made the phone too heavy."
One customer called in so irate at his phone not working that he said he had even gone to the roof of his building to see if he could get reception. The rep told him to "try another roof". Which was the wrong response but apparently the customer had been quite rude up to that point and the rep ran out of patience.
But I think the call that made me think there really were stupid people out there was the one I received when the area the customer was in was in the middle of a hurricane and cell towers were down as well as power being out and the area was being battered by heavy rain and winds. He wanted to know why his phone wasn't working and when I told him that the storm had brought down the cell towers demanded to know why there wasn't a crew out there working on it. Really?
Reminded me of the customer who called Tech Support because her computer wasn't working and when asked to check the power cord to make sure it was securely plugged in responded that she couldn't see to do that. The power was out.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Winter and the Seasons
I was born in the winter so one could assume that I would like it, right? Well, sort of.
When I was a kid I used to like winter. Sure it meant bundling up before going outside but the feeling of the crisp air on my face and in my lungs was great. Winter was the time for sledding, skating, snowball fights, making snow angels, and of course had Christmas and my birthday. Since my birthday was so close to Christmas the rest of the year had nothing to really anticipate.
As I got older, the snow started to become an inconvenience. It meant being miserable with wet snow and feeling cold. Especially feeling cold. Rain was worse than snow because you could at least brush off most of the snow but when it clumped on your clothes you had to either change or suffer wet clothes until they dried out.
Surprisingly, I didn't mind shoveling. Since I could pick up as much or little snow as I wanted, it was easy to make a game of shoveling and not wear myself out. But I find that nowadays I like the snow to come for Christmas then leave as soon as possible. Not a practical attitude when winter lasts from 5 to 8 months.
Oh yes, it does last that long. We can declare Spring to be here on a certain date but Nature has er own schedule and the area of the world I live in has a longer winter than we humans declare. We can get our first snowfall as early as October and our last snowfall as late as June. Granted neither of those snowfalls will stay. Usually the first snowfall that stays comes in either November or December and the last snowfall in April, sometimes May.
Winter comes with a beauty you have to open yourself to see. The way ice glistens on tree branches, the crisp whiteness of the snow before it gets disturbed and polluted, the sharp bite of the air. For people who don't live in areas where snow comes they can look at pictures of winter scenes and see the beauty of the snow and ice glistening in the sun. They don't experience the crisp air and the cold that slowly creeps in and makes having a mug of hot chocolate so enjoyable.
Do I like winter? Yes, there are still things I like about it although the cold affects me more each year. But I still like bundling up and curling myself around a mug of hot chocolate to warm up.
However, my favourite season is Fall. It's when the air is crisp enough to require a sweater and hints at winter's colder and often crueler air. It's when the leaves change from verdant greens to vibrant colours. It's when the holidays are concerned with giving thanks for good harvests, warm summers, and preparing us for the cold winter to come.
People say Spring is representative of the resurgence of Life. When it's the time we celebrate surviving the winter and look forward to the new year. To me, Fall is the celebration and affirmation of Life and all things worth living. It tells me that we've made it through a year and will make it through the next year. It's a promise that Life continues and prospers.
Fall is the celebration of Life and promise that the cycle will continue. Winter is the toil and treasures that impact our lives. Spring is the affirmation that the promise of Fall has been carried through, and Summer is the time to rejoice and live Life to it's fullest. Each season has something to enjoy and something to suffer through or tolerate. They represent Life in all it's aspects.
I like all the seasons but I still wish winter would not last as long as it does.
When I was a kid I used to like winter. Sure it meant bundling up before going outside but the feeling of the crisp air on my face and in my lungs was great. Winter was the time for sledding, skating, snowball fights, making snow angels, and of course had Christmas and my birthday. Since my birthday was so close to Christmas the rest of the year had nothing to really anticipate.
As I got older, the snow started to become an inconvenience. It meant being miserable with wet snow and feeling cold. Especially feeling cold. Rain was worse than snow because you could at least brush off most of the snow but when it clumped on your clothes you had to either change or suffer wet clothes until they dried out.
Surprisingly, I didn't mind shoveling. Since I could pick up as much or little snow as I wanted, it was easy to make a game of shoveling and not wear myself out. But I find that nowadays I like the snow to come for Christmas then leave as soon as possible. Not a practical attitude when winter lasts from 5 to 8 months.
Oh yes, it does last that long. We can declare Spring to be here on a certain date but Nature has er own schedule and the area of the world I live in has a longer winter than we humans declare. We can get our first snowfall as early as October and our last snowfall as late as June. Granted neither of those snowfalls will stay. Usually the first snowfall that stays comes in either November or December and the last snowfall in April, sometimes May.
Winter comes with a beauty you have to open yourself to see. The way ice glistens on tree branches, the crisp whiteness of the snow before it gets disturbed and polluted, the sharp bite of the air. For people who don't live in areas where snow comes they can look at pictures of winter scenes and see the beauty of the snow and ice glistening in the sun. They don't experience the crisp air and the cold that slowly creeps in and makes having a mug of hot chocolate so enjoyable.
Do I like winter? Yes, there are still things I like about it although the cold affects me more each year. But I still like bundling up and curling myself around a mug of hot chocolate to warm up.
However, my favourite season is Fall. It's when the air is crisp enough to require a sweater and hints at winter's colder and often crueler air. It's when the leaves change from verdant greens to vibrant colours. It's when the holidays are concerned with giving thanks for good harvests, warm summers, and preparing us for the cold winter to come.
People say Spring is representative of the resurgence of Life. When it's the time we celebrate surviving the winter and look forward to the new year. To me, Fall is the celebration and affirmation of Life and all things worth living. It tells me that we've made it through a year and will make it through the next year. It's a promise that Life continues and prospers.
Fall is the celebration of Life and promise that the cycle will continue. Winter is the toil and treasures that impact our lives. Spring is the affirmation that the promise of Fall has been carried through, and Summer is the time to rejoice and live Life to it's fullest. Each season has something to enjoy and something to suffer through or tolerate. They represent Life in all it's aspects.
I like all the seasons but I still wish winter would not last as long as it does.
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